TransLink petitioning student fare evasion decision

TransLink has filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court to quash a judges decision that ruled in favour of a student who was ticketed for fare evasion after she accidentally produced the wrong bus pass in November 2013.

Inna Danylyuk was ticketed by a TransLink officer for fare evasion because she produced another student’s U-Pass while on a bus in Burnaby.

Danylyuk disputed the ticket, on the ground she mistakenly switched her pass with her partner’s.

As part of her submission, she provided proof of her own pass that was valid at the time of the infraction.

In March of 2014 the matter went to arbitration.

It escalated to a review, and assigned to a judge for an oral hearing.

This past March Judge Zahid MakhDoom sided with the student.

The judge chastised TranLink for engaging in quote, “administrative haddockry,” noting it would have been better to demonstrate, “…diligence in its fiduciary duties to the people of the province and save a student likely in debt from incurring more debt,” and wasting Danylyuk’s time with appeals.